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The championship lead has swung between Verstappen and Hamilton
all season, with the title battle looking like it could go all
the way to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
Verstappen returned to the top with second place in the Turkish
Grand Prix on Sunday and the Dutch 24-year-old is now six points
clear of seven times world champion Hamilton, who started the
day in Istanbul two ahead.
The race was won by Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas, with Hamilton
fifth.
"We need to find more pace because six points is nothing. I wish
I had more pace. It's going to be tough," Verstappen told Sky
Sports television.
Team boss Christian Horner agreed Red Bull had lagged in
straight-line speed at a circuit where Mercedes looked the
quickest they have been all year.
Verstappen hoped the races to come -- three in the Americas and
three in the Middle East -- would suit his car more than
Mercedes.
"They were definitely quicker this weekend, we just didn't get
it together," said the Dutch driver. "On the wet they also
seemed to have the edge. Even with the points lead, it's not
going to be easy."
Verstappen, who has won seven times this year compared to
Hamilton's five, said on Thursday the outcome of this season's
title fight would not change his life either way.
He said after Sunday's race that Red Bull would continue to
fight for the title but that he "won't be sleeping less" if they
were to lose out on the championship.
"We've had a really good year, so it's not going to change the
world for me if we finish first or second at the end of the
year," said the Dutchman. "We won't give up, we will always try
to do the best we can."
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, editing by Toby Davis)
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